Haygood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Haygood family were part of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The name Haygood is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-an-t-sagairt, which means son of the priest.Patronymic names often substituted the name of a saint or other revered religious figure in place of a devout bearer's actual father. However, the patronym Haygood often denotes actual paternity in this case, since the marriage of clerics in minor orders was permissible, although the marriage of priests was declared illegal and invalid during the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Haygood family

The surname Haygood was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Haygood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haygood research.Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haygood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haygood Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Haygood has been spelled Haggard, Hagard, Hagger, Hagart, Haggart,Hager and many more.

Early Notables of the Haygood family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Haygood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Haygood family to the New World and Oceana

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Haygood:

Dixie Annie Haygood (1861-1915), née Jarrett, also known as Annie Abbott, an American stage magician

Atticus Greene Haygood (1839-1896), American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South

The Haygood Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.